William legge



v(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. LEGGE.

FOLDING ROAD VEHICLE.

No. 604,331 f Patented May 1'7 N@ E @5% 0 Q G o o &w/. o Q

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-sheen 2.

W. LEGGE.

FOLDING ROAD VEHICLE.

No. 604,331. Patented May 17,1898.

fm fw? NTTED STATES d PATENT einen.

WILLIAM LEGGE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE PATENT FOLD- ING PERAMBULATOR COMPANY, LIMITED, OF OROYDON, ENGLAND.

FOLDING ROAD-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,331, dated May 17, 1898.

Application led December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,231. (No model.) Patented in England December 7, 1893, No. 23,567.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern: d Y

Beit known that I, WILLIAM LEGGE, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Road-Vehicles and the Like, (for which I have in part obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain under date of December 7, 1893, No. 23,567,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved ar-y rangement for folding and opening road-vehicles and the like; and it consists, mainly, in the application to such vehicles of a special double-jointed hinge, in the means for staying or causing such vehicles to be rigid and firm when open for or in actual use, as well as in the means for hinging the Aseat or bottom of such vehicles, the means whereby the center back-rest or the end pieces ofsuch vehicles are made to hold and lock the bottom or seat firmly in position when the vehicleis open and ready for or in use, and in means for causing the raising of the bottom seat to coperate with other parts and assist in closing the vehicle.

My improvements may be applied to vehicles designed for or used for carrying one or more persons or to vehicles or the like made for or used for the purpose of carrying goods or materials of any description to` be moved or drawn by manual, horse, or other power or means.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a sectional elevation of a childs carriage or mail-cart embodying my invention, the wheels and means for carrying same being omitted. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of same on line a: ac. Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 44 is an end elevation showing the vehicle closed. Fig. 5 is a plan of the double hinge on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is an edge view of same. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a hand-cart for carrying goods in its open position, the wheels and means for carrying same being omitted. Fig. 8 is a lcross-section of same on line y y in its closed position. Fig.f9 is an elevation of a childs perambulator in a partly-foldedup position, and Fig. 10 is an end View of same.

According to the construction illustrated in Figs. l to fi, one edge of the bottom or seat or upper transverse piece A is hinged by a pair of any ordinary suitable hinges or joints Al to the side piece S of such vehicle, the other edge of the said seat being held in position by a pair of double-jointed hinges D D, one end of each such hinges being fastened by screws or other means to the bottom or seat A, at about the middle of same, the other end or ends being fastened to the side S' of the said vehicle. The hinge D consists of a strip of metal, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, having plates CZ CZ at either end, such plates interlocking with the main strip and hinging on same in the usual way by hinge-pins e e.

The footboards or lower transverse pieces B B are hinged at one end by any ordinary suitable hinge B/ B' to the lower bar S2 of the vehicle, the other end being held in position by a double-jointed hinge D', similar to the hinge D, one end of such hinge being fastened by screws or other means to the said footboards, at about the middle of same, the other end being fastened to the lower bar S3 of the side S by screws or other means.

The back-rest B is hinged to the side S' and is constructed to wedge or lock the seat A firmly in its position when the Vehicle is open, as shown in Fig. 2, said back-rest being held in position by a latch of any suitable kind.

Where it may be desirable to further support and strengthen the vehicle when open, I fix chains or other suitable iexible stays diagonally to the framing of the sides or other part of such vehicle, as illustrated at E E in Fig. 2, one of, such stays extending from the side S to the lbar S3 and the other from the side S to bar S2. i To close or fold vehicle, the back-rest R is opened and folded close to the side S', thereby unlocking the seat A, which, along with the footboards B B, may be lifted and folded close to the side S, the double-jointed hinges D D' at the same time automatically drawing the IOO tion illustrated by Figs. l, 2, and 3, thereby automatically causing the diagonal stays E E to tighten and support the vehicle.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a convenient form 0f vehicle constructed according to my invention which may be used for carrying goods or other material. The letters on the illustrations refer to the same parts as those for Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4. Thus A is the bottom; D,the double-jointed hinge R, the end pieces, constructed to hold the bottom firmly in position when the vehicle is open; E E, the diagonal stays; S and S, the sides of such vehicle. In this form no footboards B B are shown; but they may be employed, if desired.

In the perambulator shown in Figs. 9 and l0 the sides S S' are carried by suitable metal spring-frames 'I T', carrying axle-pins T2 T2 for the back and front wheels. Such sides carry the chains E E, (of which there may be more than one set, if desired,) such chains extending between the sides and double lugs or ears F or between the sides S S' and any suitable point of the metal frames T T.

Between similar double lugs F, opposite the lugs F', are pivoted stays G G, grooved at the outer ends at g to receive snugly bars H, pivoted at h and to the double lugs F at either end, respectively. Such arrangement of pivoted stays G and bars II, pivoted centrally to same, forms an equivalent for the double hinge D and footboards B shown in Figs. l to 4 and is an arrangement which is adapted to be applied to the vehicle shown therein or in Figs. 7 and 8 either alone or in combination with a chain or flexible cord J, as shown in Figs. 9 and l0, one of such chains connecting the stays G to the bottom or seat A, so that when the seat A is rising it will pull up the stays G and assist in drawing the sides together. Such a chain G may be employed to connect the footboards B B with the sides S S of the mail-cart shown in Figs. l to et if such footboards are close enough in, so as to be partly under the seat or bottom A. In place of the chain a rod pivoted at either end may be employed.

In Figs. 9 and l0 the seat or bottom A is provided with a well consisting of a .bag K of what is known as American cloth7 or suitable material, a bottom board L (indicated in dotted lines) being pushed into same to distend it and form a rest for the feet of the occupants of the vehicle. Vhen the well is not required, a suitable board (or the same board L) may be used to cover the opening of the Well, as shown in dotted lines L', such board being approximately flush with the bottom A.

The sides and bottom are locked when open by suitable end pieces R R2, hinged to the side S and locked when open to the side S by a latch of any suitable kind, such end pieces keeping the bottom A down in the same way as the back-rest R in Fig. l does. To the end piece R the handles R3 are secured.

The construction of the vehicle permits of its being upholstered inside without interfering with the opening and closing of same; but such upholstery is not indicated in the drawings (with the exception of some on the bottom A) in order to render the construction more plain.

It will be evident that my invention may be adapted to vehicles other than road-vehicles. Thus the form of vehicle illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8,witl1out wheels and provided with suitable handles, may be used as a hand-barrow for carrying goods or materials by manuel power,such hand-barrow folding and opening in the manner hereinbefore described. My invention may also be applied to vehicles used by invalids, technically known as Merlin chairs, such vehicles being made of suitable form and provided with hinged back-rest, hinged seat, hinged foot-rest, and diagonal stays in the manner described, and illustrated in Figs. 1,2,3,and1l,such vehicles being folded and opened as hereinbefore described. It will also be obvious that my invention may in part be applied to cases or vehicles of the like description used for the conveyance of goods or materials and the like where it is desirable that such vehicles or cases may fold into small space When not required for use.

What I claim is- 1. In a folding road-vehicle or the like and in combination with the side pieces and an undivided bottom piece which is hinged on one edge to one of the side pieces, a hinge connected to the opposite side piece and to the bottom piece and adapted after the latter has been raised to automatically assist the closing of the sides substantially as described.

2. In a folding road-vehicle or the like and in combination two side pieces, a part situated between same and adapted when at right angles to such sides to keep same apart a hinge connecting said part with one of the side pieces by one edge of the former and a double hinge connected to the other side piece and to said part about the middle of same so that its other edge is free to move substantially as described.

3. In a folding road-vehicle or the like, and in combination two side pieces,a bottom piece, a hinge connecting said bottom piece With one of the side pieces, by one edge of the former, a double hinge connected to the other side piece and to the bottom piece about the middle of same so that its other edge is free to move, and flexible stays attached to each side piece and extending to the opposite side piece to stiften same when open substantially as described.

4. In a folding road-vehicle or the like and in combination two side pieces,a bottom piece adapted to fold against the side pieces, hinged parts situated below said bottom piece adapted when the vehicle is open to stiften the side pieces and means connecting the bottom and said part beneath so that as the bottom is raised to fold the side pieces to` IOO IIO

gether the part beneath is drawn np substantialiy as described.

5. In a folding road-vehicle or the like and in combination with two side pieces and a bottom piece adapted to fold up with the side pieces a stay G pivoted to one of the sides a rod H pivoted centrally to same and to the opposite side the stay and rod being adapted to lie snugly together` when the Vehicle is open substantially as described.

6. In a folding road-Vehicle or the like and in combination two side pieces,a bottom piece adapted to fold against the side pieces and, a piece hinged to one of the side pieces so as to fold against same and adapted when open to lock the bottom piece substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LEGGE.

Witnesses:

JAMES BoLEs, ALLEN PARRY JONES. 

